'Game of Thrones' isn't over: What to know about spinoff shows, books and other projects

Katey Psencik, GateHouse Media

Monday

May 20, 2019 at 11:10 AM

HBO's adaptation of "Game of Thrones" ended Sunday night, but we're not done with Westeros and the GoT universe yet — fans of the book and TV series have plenty to look forward to in the coming years, including a handful of possible spinoff shows and, of course, the next installment of the novels.

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There may be multiple spinoff shows in the works.

According to Harper's Bazaar, HBO commissioned five different ideas for "Game of Thrones" spinoffs, but it's unclear how many will make it to your television. One of the ideas was "shelved," according to "Game of Thrones" creator George R.R. Martin, but "three more 'Game of Thrones' prequels, set in different periods and featuring different characters and storylines, remain in active development," he said. However, only one of the spinoff shows is officially moving forward with filming, which will start sometime this summer.

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Speaking of that show . . .

One spinoff show will be a prequel to 'Game of Thrones.'

According to Martin, it might be called "The Long Night" (although HBO has not confirmed this title) and it'll be a prequel to the series that just wrapped up on HBO. According to People, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the "Thrones" showrunners, will not be involved with the prequel (which may please some fans unhappy with Sunday's finale) — they'll be occupied with a new series of "Star Wars" films.

Here is the official description of the show, per HBO: "Taking place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: From the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East, to the Starks of legend… it’s not the story we think we know.”

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HBO announced a variety of actors and actresses involved with the series, most notably including Naomi Watts, who will portray ""a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret."

And, since the show is set thousands of years before the show fans are familiar with, it's unlikely any of the characters we know and love (or hate) will make an appearance. However, the name does imply that the show may have something to do with the White Walkers — so here's hoping we'll get some Night King backstory.

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It's hard to say what will happen with the next "Thrones" book — and when it will be released.

Martin's notoriously slow-moving writing process has almost reached full meme status at this point — fans of the books and show repeatedly joke about how long it's taken him to finish the next installment of the book series.

Martin, 70, still hasn't finished writing the next book, titled "The Winds of Winter," as he wrote in a blog post Sunday just a few hours before the series finale. Martin has said he won't share a release date until the book is finished. He has, however, published multiple chapters online and read a few at various live events.

The most recent "Game of Thrones" book, "A Dance With Dragons," came out in 2011. There are currently five books in the series.

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